616 W 144th St · East Chicago, IN 46312

$232,000

4 bd · 1.0 ba · 1,400 sqft · MultiFamily public records · 26 Days on market

Built 1927 3,100 sqft lot

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Why this score? — see what drove the C- grade

The composite is a weighted blend of 9 inputs, each scored 0–100. Each bar is that input's sub-score; the figure is the points it added to the 100-point composite (weight × sub-score).

• Cash flow +19.3/30.0
• ARV discount +7.5/15.0
• DSCR +6.1/10.0
• Appreciation +4.8/10.0
• Rent growth +4.5/5.0
• 1% rule +4.0/10.0
• Livability +3.2/5.0
• Condition / age +2.5/5.0
• Schools +0.8/10.0

Multi-family units

County records classify this as Multi-Family (2-4 Unit). Listing-text estimate: 2 units. confirmed

Listing remarks

Wonderful opportunity for investors and home owners alike in this COMPLETELY remodeled 2 unit duplex! From floor to ceiling, all is brand new including all mechnicals! Very upscale fixtures, professionally finished hardwood floors along with upgraded ceramic tile in the baths! 9' ceilings, new windows, light fixtures, new stainless steel appliances, refrigerator stove and range hood on both units. This property would be great for investor; and, also for homeowner who wishes to rent one unit and live in the other! Both units are very tastefully remodeled! You won't be disappointed, schedule your showing before it's gone!

Key facts

• Completely remodeled
• New windows
• 3,100 sq ft lot

Tags

• COMPLETELY REMODELED
• UPGRADED CERAMIC TILE
• NEW WINDOWS
• NEW STAINLESS STEEL APPLIANCES

What this means for you Summary

Snapshot

• This is a 2 × 2-bed/1.0-bath units multifamily listed at $232k.

Deal economics

• At list price, monthly cash flow is $253 ($3k/yr) — positive. Per door: $126/mo.
• The deal already cash-flows at list — no discount required.
• To meet the 1% rule (rent ≥ 1% of price), the offer needs to be $210k (9.6% below list).
• Recommended offer: $210k (9.6% below list) — sets the bar for 1% rule.

Location & tenants

• Location reads 64/100 on livability (#371 in IN) — a middle-class / working-renter tenant base. Strengths: commute A+, cost of living A+, housing A; Watch: health & safety D+, schools F, crime F.
• School City Of East Chicago (suburban): math 7% / reading 15% proficiency, ranked #293 of 301 in IN (top 97%) — low school quality limits family demand, transient renter base, plan for 1-2y turnover; 89% free/reduced lunch — lower-income household profile, screen leases tightly.
• Market conditions: Rents rising fast (+8.1%/yr); 79 active listings in the ZIP; 3 comparable units currently listed for rent nearby; rentals leasing fast (median 4d on market — plan ~1-2 weeks tenant-placement turnaround); lower-income renter base — watch delinquency; 1,642 units permitted in Lake County in 2024 (14 in 5+ unit buildings).
• At $2,098/mo this rent would consume 60% of the median local household income ($42k/yr) (locally 1227% of renters already pay >50% of income on rent) — very limited rent-growth headroom before tenants either downsize or default.

Forward outlook

• In year one you build about $900 of equity ($2k loan paydown + $-704 appreciation (-0.3% local appreciation)).
• Lake County population projected to shrink 7% by 2050 — rents likely to lag national; underwrite the cash flow, not the appreciation.
• At projected returns (-0.3% appreciation + 8.0% rent growth), your $65k cash investment doubles in ~7 years — after that, you're playing with house money.

Negotiation context

• It's been on market 26 days — a 2% lower offer ($229k) is reasonable based on typical stale-listing flexibility.
• 4 sale attempts since 8y ago with the ask held roughly flat each time — persistent listings suggest the price (not the market) is what's stuck; bring a comps-based counter.
• Current owner paid $35k; list at $232k implies a 563% gain — meaningful room to come down on a strong offer.

Risks & watch-outs

• Watch-outs: built in 1927 — expect roof / HVAC / electrical / plumbing capex.

Recommended offer $209,800 (9.6% below list)

Questions for the listing agent

1. Can we see the unit-by-unit rent roll, current vacancy, and any below-market leases? What's the average tenancy length?
2. What capital expenditures (roof, boiler, parking lot, exteriors) have been made in the last 5 years, and what's planned in the next 2?
3. Built in 1927 — when were the roof, HVAC, electrical panel, plumbing, and water heater last replaced?
4. Is there a deadline driving the sale (1031 exchange, divorce, estate, relocation)? That informs how much negotiation room exists.
5. Schools are F-rated, which usually means shorter tenancies and higher turnover. Who's the typical renter profile here, and what's been the actual vacancy rate?
6. Crime grade is F in this area — have there been break-ins, vandalism, or insurance claims at this property in the last 3 years? What carrier currently insures it and at what premium?
7. What's the average days-on-market for RENTAL listings here right now (not sales)? A rising rental-DOM trend means longer vacancies and softer asking-rent achievability than the comps imply.
8. What's the recent tenant-quality profile in this submarket — average credit score on applications, eviction rate, late-payment / NSF rate, and stable-employment percentage? A property-management company in the area should have these aggregated.
9. How much new apartment / multifamily construction is in the pipeline within 1–3 miles? Heavy new supply (>2% of stock underway) typically softens rents 12–24 months out; light construction supports rent growth.

Investment metrics

• 1% rule: 0.90% ✗
• Cap rate: 7.60%
• Cash-on-cash: 4.67%
• DSCR: 1.21
• GRM: 9.2

CMA / ARV

No comps found within radius.

Projected returns pro-forma

-0.3% appreciation · 8.0% rent growth · sell at horizon

5-year hold

• IRR: 5.4%
• Equity multiple: 1.26×
• Total profit: $17,032
• Equity at exit: $63,866

10-year hold

• IRR: 14.2%
• Equity multiple: 2.73×
• Total profit: $112,443
• Equity at exit: $74,031

Cash invested: $64,960 (down + closing). Projections, not guarantees.

Landlord ↔ Tenant lean methodology

• Overall (STATE): 90 Strongly Landlord-Friendly
• State Indiana: 90 Strongly Landlord-Friendly · R+11
• County: — inherits STATE
• City: — inherits STATE

10-day pay-or-quit; landlord-favorable; preempted.

Methodology + full state rankings →

ZIP-level market 46312

• Home prices YoY: -0.1%
• Rents YoY: 8.1%
• Active inventory: 79
• Price-to-rent: 18.4×

Monthly cashflow live

• Estimated rent: $2,098 medium
• Mortgage (P&I): −$1,217
• Tax from tax record: −$91 /mo · $1,094/yr
• Insurance: −$97
• HOA: −$0
• Vacancy / Maint / Mgmt: −$441
• Net cashflow: $253

Break-even live

Break-even rent $1,778

Max offer price $232,000

Occupancy floor 83%

Sensitivity live

Price	-10% $384	-5% $319	+0% $253	+5% $187	+10% $122
Rent	-10% $87	-5% $170	+0% $253	+5% $336	+10% $419
Rate	-1.0pp $370	-0.5pp $312	base $253	+0.5pp $193	+1.0pp $132

2-unit breakdown (identical units grouped — click to expand)

Units	Beds	Baths	Est. rent
▸ 2× units	2	1	$2,098
Total (2 units)			$2,098

UW: 25.0% down · 7.5% · 30yr · 1.5% tax · 5.0% vac · 8.0% maint · 8.0% mgmt

Financing live

Cash to close

• Down payment: $58,000
• Closing costs: $6,960
• Reserves months: —
• Total cash needed: —

Rent comps 3 comps

Address	Beds	Baths	Sqft	Rent	$/sqft	DOM	Units	Dist
4228 # E Unit Magoun Ave unit 2 East Chicago, IN	5.0	2.5	1800	$1,800	$1.00	2d	1	0.26mi
4001 McCook Ave Unit 2 East Chicago, IN	3.0	1.0	960	$1,650	$1.72	3d	1	0.87mi
1311 E # E Unit Columbus Dr unit 1 East Chicago, IN	3.0	1.5	1056	$1,350	$1.28	8d	1	1.28mi

Listing history 9 events

1. 2026-02-04
   status Pending
2. 2026-01-09
   listed $232,000 Active
3. 2019-10-21
   soldstatus $35,000
4. 2019-09-24
   historical
5. 2019-08-21
   listed $39,500
6. 2018-12-03
   historical
7. 2018-10-17
   listed $47,900
8. 2018-04-07
   historical
9. 2018-03-01
   listed $49,800

ⓘ Source: listings_history table (triggers on properties + properties_extension) + one-shot backfill from property_details.listing_events for pre-trigger history.

Tax reassessment forecast IN · Partial reset (capped growth)

• Current annual tax: $1,094 · $91/mo
• Projected year-2 tax: $1,533 · $128/mo
• Expected delta: +$439/yr (+$37/mo · 40.1%)

ⓘ Screening estimate from a state-policy table — verify with the county assessor before closing.

Climate risk First Street

• 🌊 Flood 4/10 Moderate FEMA zone X (unshaded) · 22% chance over 30 yrs
• 🔥 Wildfire 1/10 Low
• 🌡 Heat 3/10 Moderate 7 d/yr ≥101°F today · 15 d/yr by 30 yrs out
• 💨 Wind 2/10 Low 100% chance of damaging wind over 30 yrs
• 🫁 Air quality 4/10 Moderate 5 unhealthy d/yr today · 6 by 30 yrs out

Taxation est. · year 1

• Rental income: $25,176
• − Mortgage interest: −$12,996
• − Property taxes: −$1,094
• − Insurance: −$1,160
• − Repairs & maintenance: −$2,014
• − Management: −$2,014
• − Depreciation: −$6,749
• Taxable loss: −$851
• Est. tax savings @ 24.0%: +$204
• After-tax cash flow: $3,240/yr

For passive investors: Depreciation is non-cash, so a rental often shows a tax loss while cash-flowing — sheltering income. Rental losses are passive: they offset passive income freely, and up to $25,000/yr can offset ordinary (W-2) income if you actively participate and your MAGI is under $100k (phasing out to $0 by $150k); unused losses carry forward. On sale, claimed depreciation is recaptured at up to 25%, and gains may owe capital-gains tax (a 1031 exchange can defer both). Figures are a year-1 estimate at your 24.0% rate — not tax advice; consult a CPA.

Schools (NCES district)

• District: School City Of East Chicago
• NCES district ID: 1802880
• Math proficiency: 7% ▼ -10.00%
• Reading proficiency: 15% ▼ -7.00%
• Median HH income: $28,423
• Composite: 8.36/100
• National rank: #9909
• State rank: #293 of 301 in IN

Livability — East Chicago

• Score: 64/100
• State rank: #371
• US rank: #13869

Category grades

Amenities F Commute A+ Cost of living A+ Crime F Employment F Housing A Health & safety D+ User ratings D-

Schools grade is shown separately in the Schools card above.

Census & demographics

• Census place: East Chicago, IN
• County: Lake County · 422,878 people
• City population: 26,022
• Metro: Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI
• Population (ZIP): 26,022
• Household income: $42,125
• Rent vs Own: 57.1% rent · 42.9% own
• Severe rent burden: 1227.0

Population outlook (Lake County) Hauer SSP2

• Today (2025): 484,026 people
• By 2030: 478,091 · -1.2%
• By 2040: 462,974 · -4.3%
• By 2050: 449,894 · -7.1%
• By 2075: 436,169 · -9.9%
• By 2100: 426,607 · -11.9%

Race, ethnicity, and origin ACS 2023

• Neighborhood character: Majority Hispanic (56%)
• Race & ethnicity: Hispanic / Latino 56% Black 36% Two or more races 11% White 7%
• Hispanic origin (detail): Mexican 45% Puerto Rican 6%
• Common ancestry: Romanian 2%
• Foreign-born: 16% · Canada
• Languages at home: 59% English-only · Spanish 40%

Political lean MEDSL · Lake

• 2024 margin: Lean D (+5.6) · D 52.1% · R 46.5% · Other 1.5%
• 2008→2024 swing: -28.6pp toward R · 2008: 34.3pp · 2024: 5.6pp
• All cycles: 2024: D+5.6 2020: D+15.1 2016: D+20.6 2012: D+31.0 2008: D+34.3

Not yet ingested

• Civics: —

Market trends

• HPI YoY: ▼ -0.30%
• Current HPI: 267.9232
• Rent YoY: ▲ 8.06%
• Metro: Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI
• State GDP YoY: ▲ 2.90%
• F500 in state: 18

Industry mix (Fortune 500 HQ in IN)

Industry	F500 HQs	Revenue
▸Industrial Machinery	2	$37B
▸Healthcare	1	$177B
▸Pharmaceuticals	1	$45B
▸Metals / Steel	1	$18B
▸Agriculture	1	$17B
▸Packaging	1	$12B

Price history

+365.9% since first listed

9 events — show timeline

• 2026-02-04 Pending — NIRA MLS as Distributed by MLS Grid
• 2026-01-09 Listed $232,000 NIRA MLS as Distributed by MLS Grid
• 2019-10-21 Sold (Public Records) $35,000 Public Records
• 2019-09-24 Listing Removed — NIRA MLS as Distributed by MLS Grid
• 2019-08-21 Listed $39,500 NIRA MLS as Distributed by MLS Grid
• 2018-12-03 Listing Removed — NIRA MLS as Distributed by MLS Grid
• 2018-10-17 Listed $47,900 NIRA MLS as Distributed by MLS Grid
• 2018-04-07 Listing Removed — NIRA MLS as Distributed by MLS Grid
• 2018-03-01 Listed $49,800 NIRA MLS as Distributed by MLS Grid

Property tax history

+1.4%/yr

Latest (2024): $1,094 · +9.2% YoY. Source: county tax records.